9 Costco Kirkland Signature Nuts, Ranked

You could survive an entire lifetime of eating and drinking by purchasing only Kirkland brand items, from Kirkland Signature cheeses to the brand's sparkling waters. I've tried many Kirkland staples over the years as a loyal Costco member, and love the quality and price, so I figured I should niche down on one of Costco's somewhat random offerings: nuts — specifically, nuts that you'd pack in a lunch, eat straight from the bag, or place in a communal bowl for a big game day. 

I selected nine snacky nuts and ranked them based on flavor, texture, personal preference, and most of all, how popular I think the item would be set out at a party or shindig. I should preface that all these nuts are tasty and enjoyable; some are simply more ... snackable. I selected a variety to see what makes the most sense for a snack: some plain, unroasted and unsalted, some slightly jazzed up, and others come in mixed nut sets. Join me on this nutty endeavor; hopefully, by the time you finish reading, you'll find the best quick snack for your upcoming function. 

If I were basing this ranking solely on personal preference, the macadamia nuts from Costco would be in the top five; they're one of my favorite nuts of all time. I've purchased Kirkland's Macadamia Nuts with Sea Salt before and ate them pretty easily, alone, I might add. They are dry roasted to give them a light crunch, while the salt introduces a savory quality. There's too much salt, though, as it leaves a powdery, salty residue in your fingers — after just a couple of nuts. I found that some were nicely crunchy, but others were soft; it felt like a strange textural mismatch. Additionally, these don't give off much of a snack-like vibe for the majority of people. If you placed a bowl out at a party, I'm not sure who else would be eating it — besides me. 

These macadamia nuts also have such a particular flavor — buttery and somewhat creamy with a liberal saltiness — that means you'd have to be strategic on what you pair them with. It seems odd to set it out next to things like potato chips and caramelized onion dip. While they are excellent in baked goods like cookies (yes, even though they're salted), macadamia nuts alone might not be very snackable if you're trying to feed a crowd or kids.

Next up, we have the Kirkland Roasted Almonds with Sea Salt that come in a 2 1/2-pound bag. These nuts have a noticeable crunch, making them satisfying to dig your teeth into. The sea salt isn't as prominent as the macadamia nuts, but it still seems moderately heavy-handed. I can appreciate that it adds a bit of something to make them at least somewhat interesting. I think these are a better option to place in a snack bowl than the unroasted ones, or even the macadamia nuts, solely because of the texture and familiarity. 

However, unlike the macadamia nuts that are dry roasted, the almonds are roasted with peanut oil; that alone might be unfavorable for some. Some Costco reviews share that they are absolutely coated in oil, which makes them greasy and hard to handle. I didn't have this specific issue, but as it is, they're not too flavorful. They make an okay snack, but not one that would have me reaching for more. I would likely want to pair it with other ingredients on a grazing board or incorporate it into other snacks, like chopping them up to add to a small yogurt.

Costco carries a few cashew options, if you plan to use them in your snacks, lunches, etc. There are the Kirkland Unsalted Unroasted Organic Cashews, a fancy unsalted option that's roasted in peanut oil, and then one with sea salt (same deal with the peanut oil). I opted for the first because they're a little more versatile. You can leave them out for people to snack or you can roast them yourself, cover them in chocolate, or perhaps a smidge of cinnamon sugar. 

This adaptability and lack of salt make it a great snack to customize as you wish, which is a top reason it ranks higher than the previous two salted nuts. The Kirkland Unsalted Unroasted Organic Cashews have a delicate texture that's a mix of crunchy and flexible; it's in its natural state, so it's not as crisp as anything roasted or baked. They have a buttery and almost creamy flavor profile that makes them easy to eat, and the lack of salt makes them more flavorful, believe it or not. I think cashews bring a little more allure and a fancy vibe for your entertaining, compared to almonds, to give them a slight boost in the ranking.

The butter toffee cashews are scrumptious. I had to stop myself from devouring them. Well, actually, at some point in the bag, they stopped themselves. The initial top layer of the 24-ounce bag has whole, delightful cashews covered in a buttery coating (made with cashews, sugar, butter, toffee morsels, sea salt, and some other ingredients) that makes you want to lick the dust off your fingers. After quickly making my way through the layer of whole nuts, I saw a massive amount of cashew fragments. 

These nut shards, while delicious enough to beat out the plain unsalted cashews in this ranking, are difficult to eat. I would never want to put a mountain of nut bits in a bowl for people to snack on. It's hard to grasp the small pieces, and it's messy too. You'd have to supply a pile of napkins for people to wipe their fingers of the residue. After nibbling on a few tiny nut morsels, your guests might move to a different snack (like the one coming up). While you could add them on top of something like pudding cups or some other single-serve snack, I just can't rank them any higher. If there were more whole nuts in the butter toffee cashew bag, this could easily receive third place.

Out of Costco's pistachio selection, I went with the roasted and unsalted ones that come in a 3-pound bag. I typically like to get unsalted nuts where possible to allow me to have more wiggle room on how I use them; the salt narrows down the possibilities compared to a wholly unseasoned one. But Costco also has a Kirkland Salted and Roasted Pistachio and then a bag of Shelled, Salted ones, if either of those speak to you. 

There's something fun and interactive about shelling your own pistachios, particularly as people are gathered around a table chatting and gossiping about life's moments — making them a splendid snack option. You need two hands to do so, so it's a great option to fiddle with. These plain ones allow you to get a satisfying crunch and fully enjoy the earthy, distinct taste of pistachios. 

I like that these Kirkland pistachios aren't too messy, either. You can shell them, remove the little layer of skin, and never have to look down at them, allowing you to watch the game on TV or whatever you're concentrating on. Flavored pistachios, like salt and pepper ones I've had in the past, tend to have a dusty residue that is incredibly untidy. These tasty nuts take the lead over the toffee butter cashews, but the next nuts are even better.

The Heart Healthy Nixed Nuts from Kirkland come in a 36-ounce bag with a blend of walnuts and dry-roasted almonds, hazelnuts, and pistachios. These are my fourth-place pick for a couple of reasons. For one, I can appreciate the non-salted nature. As you may have noticed, the amount of salt on some of these Kirkland nuts takes away from the snackability, making it difficult to eat more than a few. Second, the variety gives it some added intrigue. Absolutely none of the other options on this list contain hazelnuts or walnuts, so that alone can be enticing enough to purchase for your shindig. 

The hazelnuts have a distinct nutty, earthy flavor and perfect crunch, while the almonds are slightly softer, a tad buttery, and earthy. When pitted against the pistachios, I find that this mix is more intriguing to place out on a table for guests. The blend of nuts offers various textures and flavor profiles to make each handful a little different; plus they have such unique shapes to add to the mouth feel. The bag also advertises that the nuts are sodium and cholesterol-free, if that makes a difference to you.

When you go to a dive bar or some sort of function, there's always a small bowl of peanuts. They're easy to nibble on and a certified snack classic, which solidifies its third-place position without much further explanation. You can't go wrong with Kirkland's 2.5-pound canister of Super-Extra Large Peanuts, technically a legume, with their familiar flavor and crunchy qualities. It's a staple in many households, at least in the form of peanut butter, so peanuts are a top option in their whole form. 

These are shelled to make life easier, allowing you to eat your snack without having a huge mess to clean up afterward. Those shells are messy enough, but the flaky, dry reddish-colored seed coat tends to crumble into a million pieces and sometimes gets caught in your throat as you inhale (ask me how I know). These Kirkland peanuts eliminate the clean up, are a stellar, scrumptious snack, and easy to eat by themselves. I love these peanuts and snack on them all the time. They are great alone, but you can always jazz it up with other nuts or add-ins, like M&Ms and raisins, to create your own unique trail mix of sorts. Elevate a bowl of popcorn with peanuts, pretzels, and chocolate chips for a sweet and salty snack to place out for family or guests. Peanuts are a familiar comfort classic with a great texture to give it a lead over the Heart Healthy Nuts.

Oh my heavens, the Praline Pecans are utterly delectable. At first glance, this Kirkland item seems slightly wintery, but it doesn't have any cinnamon or warming spices, giving it more flexibility to enjoy them throughout the year. Eat them during football season and winter family gatherings, or summer swim meets and backyard barbecues. There's no wrong way to devour these moreish nuts. We've previously ranked them No. 1 in a Kirkland sweet treats ranking for similar reasons — it's difficult to stop at just a mere handful. The somewhat soft nut pairs wonderfully with the crispy praline exterior, made with sugar, brown sugar, butter, corn syrup, sea salt, and natural flavor.

I will say, though, that some bits are extremely hard or inedible, so be careful chewing on them. These get the second position, because they're incredibly easy to snack on, are delicious, and have a fantastic, crunchy, sugary texture. You can shake some into a bowl for family to eat, and people of all ages will happily do so. You might wonder how anything could top them, but this upcoming nut (blend) is simply captivating, flavorful, and tantalizing for the senses. 

There's really no competition here. The Kirkland Sweet Heat Snack Mix is the best option for snacks, whether you're packing something to take to the beach or need something to serve guests. These have the most dynamic flavor and texture out of anything on this list. It's complex, crunchy, spicy, sweet, and a pure delight. You don't even have to take my word for it; it's considered a holy grail Costco pick according to Reddit.

They have a tinge of heat, but they're incredibly approachable for various taste preferences. Each nut and non-nut item is coated in seasoning. For the nut portion, it contains seasoned almonds and cashews, honey-glazed pecans, and cracker-coated almonds with BBQ flavor. The cracker coating gives an airy crunch that makes way for a crunchier almond interior. The pecans are sweet with a crisp exterior, but they have a residual dusting of other nut flavors to make them compelling to eat. 

There's a bit of everything in this mix, and it's easy to find excitement in every handful. There are also honey roasted sesame sticks and little corn nuggets (think Corn Nuts). Since neither of these is a nut, I didn't factor them into my decision-making — but objectively, they bring added savory crunchiness into the mix. The combination of flavors (sweet, smoky, and spicy) and the whimsical textures make the sweet heat mix an easy first-place winner.

Costco has quite a lot of Kirkland brand nuts that I didn't include, from roasted and salted whole cashews to pecan halves. Since the primary focus of this ranking is Kirkland snacking nuts (not every single nut the company offers), I opted for items that people are inclined to nosh on as a snack or in a party setting. This also affected the criteria by which I judged them. Flavor and texture are vital, of course. Personal preference is involved to some degree, but one of my main considerations was snackability — this could be whether someone would be inclined to nibble on them directly out of the bag for a quick bite, or how likely the nut(s) would be eaten if set out at a party. All these elements played a part in what ranked high versus low. Higher-ranking picks were more flavorful with interesting textures and familiarity for guests, whereas items low on the list are harder to eat, not as interesting, nor as tasty.